Plaintiffs’ allegations based on “information and belief” are bolstered by specific facts and many allegations gleaned directly from comparing the works at issue and from Defendants’ public postings on social media. For example, Plaintiffs include a screenshot of Defendants’ Facebook post of a photo of Defendant Peters posing with a “fully revised and locked script.”1)[emphasis added]

Silent Running?

On May 18, 2016, Peters announced on Facebook that he was ceasing social media posts in order to focus on the lawsuit:

All, I will be stepping away from this group and all social media while we now move forward with the lawsuit. Hopefully we will settle this matter and I will be back. Our efforts will be focused on settling the lawsuit, preparing Axanar for the future, and making sure we can pay the rent by renting the studio.2)

Just hours later, however, he was posting again,3) even after Axanar public relations director Mike Bawden had advised him to cease his social media posts.4)

Biography

Peters is a serial entrepreneur and winner of Ernst & Young’s 2004 Young Entrepreneur of the Year. He graduated from the University of North Carolina School of Law, and is a former collegiate volleyball coach.

In 2013, Peters portrayed Garth of Izar in the fan series Star Trek: New Voyages and was to reprise the role in the planned feature-length Axanar, which he co-wrote and was set to produce, though he decided to re-cast the role with a younger, to-be-named actor.

Peters wrote the original story for Axanar 25 years ago and decided to produce it as a feature film after his experience with Star Trek: New Voyages.